Biggest Time Wasters (percent respondents)

If you think that your IT staff fritters away too much of their time at work using Facebook and Twitter, guess again. Social media ranks very low on the list of work distractions, according to a recent survey conducted by Amplitude Research Inc. for TrackVia, a vendor that helps non-tech business people design, build and deploy secure, reliable cloud-based applications. One of the biggest time-wasters remains a tradition nearly as old as the office itself: The water-cooler conversation. Another top time-wasting culprit? Endless meetings -- especially those dominated by non-productive topic points. To ensure that your departments are making the best use of working hours, CIOs and other senior managers also must cultivate a culture in which communications are clear and office politics do not create constant distractions, according to the survey results. More than 300 employees who use computers and software for their jobs every day took part in the survey. Here are nine highlights.